GALLE, Sri Lanka (CMC) — Lion-hearted opener Chris Gayle smashed several longstanding records en route to a career-best 333, but a clatter of wickets in the final session marred an outstanding West Indies performance on the second day of the opening Test against Sri Lanka yesterday.The 31-year-old left-hander, resuming the day on 219, fashioned a Herculean effort in carving out the highest score by a West Indies batsman overseas, as West Indies marched to an imposing 580-9 declared at Galle International Stadium.

At the close, Sri Lanka were 54-1 after pacer Andre Russell plucked out opener Tillakaratne Dilshan without scoring, with only his second delivery in Test cricket.For the second day running, however, centre stage belonged to Gayle. In a marathon innings spanning 10 1/2 hours, the giant Jamaican faced 437 balls and struck 34 fours and nine sixes, to become only the fourth batsman in history to score 300 twice in their career.His heroics were spoilt somewhat in the last session when mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis snatched 6-169 to spark a middle- and lower-order collapse, which saw six Windies wickets tumble for 21 runs in the space of just 53 balls.By then, the damage had been done and when Gayle finally trudged from the field to a long ovation from spectators and fielders alike after he played a tired defensive stroke and was bowled by Mendis, Sri Lanka's bowlers grabbed the opportunity to dominate for the first time.Resuming at his overnight 219 with the Windies on 362-2, Gayle was more disciplined than he was dominant, adding a mere 36 runs during the session with a measured, watchful approach.West Indies added only 67 runs from 30 overs as Sri Lanka's bowlers, led by off-spinner Suraj Randiv, applied the brakes on the scoring.Randiv, tormented by Gayle on the previous day, accounted for the only wicket to fall in the session when he had Shivnarine Chanderpaul caught at slip for 32 by Mahela Jayawardene at 392-3.Gayle survived a huge lbw shout -- and a subsequent referral -- off the day's first ball from Mendis but proceeded to gather his runs with uncharacteristic serenity, in an 86-run, third wicket partnership with the equally subdued Chanderpaul who resumed on 20.At 222, Gayle surpassed the legendary Brian Lara's 221 for the highest score by a West Indian against Sri Lanka achieved nine years ago, and continued to score quietly before picking up his first boundary of the morning with a thunderous pull off left-arm seamer Dammika Pradad in the day's eighth over.He added another record when he reached 238, the highest score recorded at the venue, overtaking Mahela Jaywardene's previous best of 237 six years ago.